Ferrero Calls Off the Dogs on Mega-Fans' Annual Celebration, Says It Is Grateful for Their 'Passion for Nutella'

The fan-led event, which celebrates the hazelnut spread annually in February, seemed threatened when the event's founder, Sara Rosso, said earlier this week that lawyers for the brand sent her a cease-and-desist letter. She blogged about the letter, drawing plenty of media coverage and outcry from Nutella fans who wondered why the Ferrero-owned brand would want to stop the grassroots effort, which seemed to only bring good PR. But in a blog post today, Ms. Rosso said Ferrero employees "reached out to me directly after I had posted my fan letter online" and that "they were very gracious and supportive and we were able to have a productive discussion about World Nutella Day living on for the fans, which is the whole point."

She also posted a statement from Ferrero, which described their initial letter as a "routine brand defense procedure." Here is Ferrero's full statement. (Ad Age confirmed its authenticity with the marketer's U.S. division.):

"Positive direct contact between Ferrero and Sara Rosso, owner of the non-official Nutella fan page World Nutella Day, has brought an end to the case. Ferrero would like to express to Sara Rosso its sincere gratitude for her passion for Nutella, gratitude which is extended to all fans of the World Nutella Day. The case arose from a routine brand defense procedure that was activated as a result of some misuse of the Nutella brand on the fan page. Ferrero is pleased to announce that today, after contacting Sara Rosso and finding together the appropriate solutions, it immediately stopped the previous action. Ferrero considers itself fortunate to have such devoted and loyal fans of its Nutella spread, like Sara Rosso. "

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E.J. Schultz

E.J. Schultz is the Chicago Bureau Chief at Ad Age and covers beverage, automotive and sports marketing. He is a former reporter for McClatchy newspapers, including the Fresno Bee, where he covered business and state government and politics, and the Island Packet in South Carolina. He has won awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the Jesse H. Neal Awards, the Association of Capitol Reporters and Editors, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, the South Carolina Press Association and Investigative Reporters and Editors. A native of Cincinnati, Schultz has an economics degree from Xavier University and a masters in journalism from Northwestern University.